Chapter Thirty-Five: Between Fire and Moonlight
The night was calm, the moon casting silver light over the pack's camp.
Rina sat beside the fire, her fingers tracing the worn leather of Kael's pendant — a symbol of his pack and his past.
Kael settled beside her, the warmth of his presence a steady comfort.
"Do you ever wonder," Rina began, voice soft, "what life would be like if we weren't bound by duty?"
Kael smiled, a rare, tender smile. "I think about it sometimes. But then I realize — it's not duty that binds me to you. It's something stronger."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Love?"
He nodded, voice low. "Love. And the promise to stand by you, no matter what comes."
For a long moment, they simply existed — two souls intertwined beneath the stars.
But even in the quiet, the shadows lingered at the edges of Blackridge.
The war might have paused, but it was far from over.
And together, Rina and Kael would face whatever darkness lay ahead — their hearts blazing like twin flames.